enholm



2 SheetsSheet 1.

(ModeL) I A. H. ENHOLM. MAIL BAG AND,FASTBNER THEREFOR.

No. 428,387. Patented May 20, 1890. F7 2. 15

gWITIVESSES: W%Vg0fl M a/4M m C/ ATTORNEYS we NDRRiS puns 004, PHoTn-umo, WASHINGYUN, a. c.

.(ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

'- A. H. ENHOLM.

MAIL BAG AND FASTENER THEREFOR.

No. 428,387. Patented May 20 iidnzf WITNESSES FFICE.

' ATENr AXEL n. ENHOLM, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

MAIL-BAG AND FASTENER THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,387, dated May 20, 1890.

Application filed May 24, 1889- Serial No. 311,957- (ModoL) To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, AXEL H. ENHoLM, a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, iave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bags and Fasteners therefor, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to improve the fastening for mail-bags that is shown in United States Letters Patent No. 179,449, issued to me on July 4, 1876.

The present invention consists in a bag provided with a chain or flexible bar having a series of prongs or bolts extending in the direction of motion of the chain or bar, in combination wit-l1 a series of staples or loops that are adapted to receive said prongs or bolts.

The invention further consists in the details of improvement and combinations of parts that will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming partof this specification, whcrein Figure 1 is a face view of the end of a mailbag having my improved fastener applied, showing the inner side of the flap, said flap being thrown back. Fig. 2 is a face view of the end of a bag, showing my improved fastener in position for locking the bag. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing my fastener in the position it assumes when the bag is locked. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 0 c, Fig. 3, on an enlarged scale, the bag being locked by my fastener. Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical cross-section 0n the plane of the line k 70, Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a detail view, on an exaggerated scale, of part shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the letterA indicates a mail-bag, that may be of suitable construction, and provided with a flap B to fold over the upper part or edge I) of the bag. The bag A carries a series of staples or loops D near its edge I), that are adapted to be passed through slots a in the flap B. In order to strengthen the flap B, and also the edge I) of the bagA, I prefer to place a series of clamps cl along the edge 12 and along the edge of the flap B, as shown. I place these clamps at a short distance apart, so that the flap B and edge b of the bag A d as well as the flap B.

make a firm structure, in Figs. 5 and 6.

The clamps (Z are provided with. slots that register with the slots a in the flap B,so that the staples D may pass through the clamps By this means a very strong structure is obtained.

E is a chain or flexible bar that is preferably carried on the flap B and that is guided on said flap so as to have a sliding movement on the same. The flexible bar E has a series of L-shaped slots E through the lateral part f of which slots the staples D can pass. The metal at the sides of said slots forms prongs or bolts F, that are adapted to pass through the staples D. The flexible bar E is held on the flap B and permitted a sliding movement thereon by means of the headed studs 6, that pass through the longitudinal parts f of the L-shaped slots F in the flexible bar E; but the flexible bar E may be held upon the bag or its flap B, so as to have a sliding movement, otherwise than by the studs 6, and I therefore do not confine myself to the use of said studs. The flexible bar E rests upon the clamps d, upon which it slides, so as to take away the wear that would come on the flap B were it in direct contact therewith. The flexible bar E is shown made of a number of links or strips E, that are hinged together at their ends; but the bar E may be made flexible in any other manner. The prongs or bolts F on the flexible bar E extend in the direction of movement of said flexible bar. Said prongs or bolts are adapted, when the flexible bar E is moved, to pass through the staples D, when the latter are passed through the slots at and f to prevent the staples being withdrawn through the slots at, thereby fastening the bag.

The flexible bar is provided at one end with a pivoted hasp or slotted tongue G, the slot 9 in which hasp is adapted to receive a staple 9 that is carried by the bag at the edge b and that is adapted to pass through a slot h in the flap B. When the hasp G is placed over the staple 9 a padlock or the like H may be secured to the staple to prevent the hasp being withdrawn. When the hasp is over the staple, longitudinal movement of the flexible bar E is prevented, so that the prongs F canbe reversed.

In closing and locking the bag with my improved fastener the flexible bar E is first moved to the left and the flap B brought over, so that the staples D pass through the slots at in said flap. The bar E is then drawn to the right in Fig. 2, which causes all the prongs or bolts F to simultaneously pass through their respective staples D, whereupon the hasp G is placed over the staple 9 so as to prevent further movement of the bar E in either direction. The padlock may then be applied to the staple The bag will now be found securely locked and cannot be opened until the bar E is moved to the left.

The flexible bar E may be made of steel, so that the prongs F will be strong and rigid. This construction of fastening is extremely strong and reliable and will Withstand wear for a much longer period than the fastenings with which I am now familiar. It will be seen that only one motion of the barE either to the right or left is required to lock or unlock the bag, whereas with the fastenings where straps are used the strap has to be separately passed through each staple. With my fastener much time will be saved in handling mail-bags. 7

Having now described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The mail-bag A, having flap B, the slidin g flexible bar E, having a series of prongs or bolts E, extending in the direction of motion of the bar, and a series of clamps d, embracing the edge of the flap B, in combination with a series of staples or loops D, that are adapted to pass through the flap B and to receive the prongs or bolts F, the bar E sliding on the clamps d, substantially as described.

2. The sliding flexible bar E, having L- shaped slots E and prongs or bolts F, in combination with the studs 6, that pass through the parts f of said slots E and With staples D, for receiving the prongs F, substantially as described.

3. The bag A, having flap B and edge I), combined with the c amps d, placed on the flap' B and edge 1) and at certain distances apart, said clamps extending on both sides of and embracing said flap and edge, whereby the flap B and edge Z) are strengthened, while permitting flexibility, substantially as described.

AXEL H. ENnoLM.

Witnesses:

' HARRY M. TURK,

T. F. BOURNE. 

